The optimal adjustment of automobile outside side-view mirrors varies between drivers, ultimately based on the position of the driver's eyes as determined by seating position. As a result, the side-view mirrors are commonly adjustable to cater to this variance in seating position. Improper adjustment can lead to non-optimized alignment of the side-view mirrors. Drivers can create blind areas around their vehicle by misadjusting their side-view mirrors, thereby requiring excessive turning of the head in order to facilitate a safe lane change maneuver. Head turning can cause a distraction, diverting drivers' attention from guiding the vehicle. It also may be increasingly cumbersome for older drivers who may suffer from reduced neck and back flexibility. Increased probability of accidents may result from the inability to reliably check for traffic before initiating a lane change maneuver.
In an effort to reduce accident probability, automakers have developed lane-change assistance technology such as radar or camera blind area traffic detection to alerts drivers when conflicts exist during lane change maneuvers. Such lane-change assistance systems can be costly and complex and may only be an option on higher-end makes and models. In addition, an increasing reliance on lane-change assistance technology can lead to difficulty performing lane change maneuvers without the aid of the systems, e.g., during a system failure, or when adjusting to driving cars with different technology.
Alternative systems exist to counteract the blind areas created by misadjustment of the side-view mirrors, such as the “BlindZoneMirror” that incorporates a smaller secondary mirror within the main mirror area. These small secondary mirrors are typically shaped convex to view an additional area not covered by the main mirror. As a result, the shape and scale of the reflected image is different than the shape and scale of the reflected image in the side-view mirror. Differing reflected image shapes and scales in adjoining mirrors can be confusing and may result in difficulty for a driver to comprehend the surrounding traffic situation with a quick glance at the side-view mirror.
Therefore, there exists a need for an optimizing the existing automotive side-mirror adjustment system on vehicles to ensure a driver can utilize the mirrors to reliably obtain safety-critical information. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to fulfilling these and other needs.